By DC Correspondent

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Hyderabad: Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Thursday expressed concern over the United States’ decision to increase tariffs on Indian goods and raise the H-1B visa fee during his meeting with an American delegation comprising senior US business leaders, think-tank representatives, and philanthropic figures at the Secretariat on Thursday. The delegation, which focuses on bilateral relations, investment, and policy exchange between India and the US, discussed various issues concerning both countries. IT and industries minister D. Sridhar Babu was also present at the meeting. The Chief Minister, emphasising the significance and contribution of the Telangana diaspora to America’s progress, said the recent decision to raise the H-1B visa fee could have an adverse impact on both economies and lead to unrest and misunderstandings between the two nations. He also highlighted the apprehensions that arise from abrupt decisions such as the recent tariff hikes. He noted that successive state governments had maintained continuity in developmental policy initiatives, paving the way for the growth of Hyderabad into the global city it is today. “Despite political and ideological differences, our governments adopted best practices from the past and never deviated from policies,” he said. Explaining his plans for the Telangana Rising 2047 vision, the Chief Minister said the government aims to make the state a $1-trillion economy by 2034 and a $3-trillion economy by 2047. He added that Hyderabad is now competing with cities such as New York, Tokyo, and Seoul in improving its infrastructure and manufacturing capabilities. “We are undertaking several game-changing projects for Hyderabad and my state — the Regional Ring Road, Regional Ring Rail, manufacturing zones, Bharat Future City, Dry Port, dedicated road and rail connectivity with the seaport in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, the Musi Rejuvenation project, and the expansion of the Hyderabad Metro Rail,” Revanth Reddy said. The Chief Minister further stated that the Musi Rejuvenation Project will open up new avenues for advancing Telangana’s economy. “With the Musi riverfront development, we want to unlock opportunities associated with the night economy,” he added. “Hyderabad has the heritage and culture to develop a great riverfront.” He stressed the government’s plans to position Telangana as the standout choice for the ‘China+1’ strategy. “I request the support of US industry partners in developing the Bharat Future City. In the near future, I would like to invite all Fortune 500 companies to establish a presence in the Future City,” he said. Sridhar Babu outlined the government’s grand plans to establish the state as a skill capital, especially in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI), by setting up an AI University in Hyderabad. “Building on the city’s emergence as a hub for Global Capability Centres (GCCs), we plan to encourage these GCCs to evolve into value centres, thereby exporting services and developing products,” he said.The minister added that companies from Hyderabad had supplied a major share of Covid-19 vaccines globally, emphasising that efforts are on to further nurture indigenous companies.Prof. Walter Russell Mead, distinguished fellow at the Hudson Institute and columnist for The Wall Street Journal; Mark Rosenblatt, founder and CEO of Rationalwave Capital Partners; Harlan Crow, chairman of Crow Holdings; Ravenel Curry, founder and Co-CIO of Eagle Capital Management; and Henry Billingsley, partner at Billingsley Company, were part of the delegation.The meeting was also attended by the Chief Minister’s adviser Vem Narender Reddy; Chief Secretary K. Ramakrishna Rao; special chief secretary (IT and Industries) Sanjay Kumar; the Chief Minister’s principal secretary V. Sheshadri; principal secretary (commercial taxes) Syed Ali Murtaza Rizvi; VC and MD of TGIIC and commissioner of the Future City Development Authority (FCDA) K. Shashanka; and director of industries Nikhil Chakravarthy.